Other With the growing competition and alternatives, why do you choose to stick with iPhone (and iOS)?

[newdev9]

I’ve been back into iPhone for about the last two years. Had the original iPhone and then a 5C. Then I went pretty heavy into Android. Got frustrated after having to RMA two Pixels back to back (3a and 4a 5G). Decided to give iPhone a try back in 2021 with the iPhone 12 and I haven’t had any regrets since. I moved to a 13 pro max and I think I’m settled on this for a bit. Truthfully I find iOS a bit boring and stale but one thing I like about it, macOS and iPadOS is they’re all reliable and very few hiccups. Sure the designs Apple has come out with in the last few years have all relatively been similar but one thing I can say is their products are built well and are reliable.

Are you guys ever tempted to switch to Pixel or Samsung? If not, what makes you stick with Apple products?

 

[ctjack]

Last time checked my brothers galaxy s8 - this phone had more buttons and menu options than f22’s dash panel. Heavy no go for me - i am back to stale ios.

 

[Apple_Tiger]

For me it's the ecosystem. I will never leave Apple. I never liked Android in the first place.

 

[eyoungren]

I tried Android in the past and didn't care for it. By 2020 I thought I'd try again, but elected to get a phone from the source - Google. So, for a year I used a Google Pixel 3a XL.

That's a nice phone (I still have it), but now stuck on Android 12. Android has improved, but iOS still has consistency and standards going for it.

I like the iPhone well enough (I hate the camera bumps), but a year on Android showed me that it's actually iOS that attracts me to Apple.

I did however, jailbreak all my iPhones except the current one. iOS without Apple's restrictions allowed me to have things for years that were not available on a stock iPhone. Sadly, it also has allowed me to see where Apple comes up short a lot in relation to jailbreak tweaks and apps.

 

[eyoungren]

For me it's the ecosystem. I will never leave Apple. I never liked Android in the first place.

Never been the ecosystem for me. Apple denied me access to the ecosystem in 2012 when they cut off my PowerBook G4 from syncing with iTunes. I was forced to find workarounds.

With the exception of iMessage I've got everything else covered by Dropbox, Google and other third parties. You can use the iPhone/iPad/Mac without the Apple ecosystem.

As for iMessage, I don't send anything important via text/messaging. And while I do pay for iCloud storage and use Apple services these are primarily backups to the services I mentioned above.

 

[phrehdd]

Last time checked my brothers galaxy s8 - this phone had more buttons and menu options than f22’s dash panel. Heavy no go for me - i am back to stale ios.

I enjoyed my time with Samsung. I had nothing but good experiences and certainly far more customizable than iPhone. However, I returned to iPhone IOS by chance and appreciate the "eco system" for my needs and easy use of Airpods. As far as phones are concerned, I think the latest Galaxy S phones are amazing just not anything I need at this time so I'll finish paying off my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

 

[russell_314]

Are you guys ever tempted to switch to Pixel or Samsung? If not, what makes you stick with Apple products?

All the time.

I then think of lots of reasons why that would be a bad idea. For my main device I need reliability and it to work seamlessly with all my devices. I don't get this with non Apple devices. For example I'm typing this on my Chromebook for the second time because the Chrome web browser decided to crash. Yay Google!

 

[barkomatic]

I'm a little tempted by the Samsung folding phones. The idea that I can unfold it to a bigger form factor to watch a movie or read a book instead of having separate devices is appealing. I stick with iOS because I like answering texts on my Mac and have AirPods. I could see myself switching if things get a little stale with Apple. However, the quality and reliability of folding devices would have to get better first.

 

[eyoungren]

All the time.

I then think of lots of reasons why that would be a bad idea. For my main device I need reliability and it to work seamlessly with all my devices. I don't get this with non Apple devices. For example I'm typing this on my Chromebook for the second time because the Chrome web browser decided to crash. Yay Google!

Chrome is a pig, just like Firefox used to be (or still is). I've always searched for good alternates (I hate Safari on everything it runs on). Right now that's Vivaldi. For a handful of other stuff it's Edge.

Both are Chrome based - but they are not Chrome.

 

[ctjack]

I enjoyed my time with Samsung. I had nothing but good experiences and certainly far more customizable than iPhone. However, I returned to iPhone IOS by chance and appreciate the "eco system" for my needs and easy use of Airpods. As far as phones are concerned, I think the latest Galaxy S phones are amazing just not anything I need at this time so I'll finish paying off my iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Don't get me wrong, i am the guy who picked up 4.7" Galaxy S3 instead of pale iphone 4s - i installed custom kernel siyah on it and it literally blown(shredded) 2.1 speakers at my school and this thing was driving 320Ohm headphones, so i was listening to my 16-32 on maximum of 20% volume otherwise they and my eardrums would be blown too.

I was connecting that thing to hdd and ssds via OTG cable when iphones didn't know what the file system is let alone usb-otg cable. I connected keyboard and mouse to that thing - worked on the go via remote desktoping to my dell laptop. Downloaded on the go my files to flash drive to print them at the university printing center.

I had a good time with Samsungs and androids. But right now Iphone upped the game and i prefer its' stability and ecosystem. Probably i like Apple pay the most and my synced life with Mac - copy/paste, secondary display on ipads and etc.

 

[257Loner]

I grew up with Apple hardware and software ever since I was little and used the iMac G3s at school and my dad's Macintosh at home. Now that I'm older, it would be difficult for me to learn Microsoft or Android. I think I'd need another childhood to learn another world of software.

 

[ValerieDurden]

I had all iPhones up until the 5, went android and loved it. Decided last summer to try an iPhone again, it’s more or less the same as android now. I’ll be going back to android (Samsung) this summer.

 

[black_knight]

There really isn’t much competition to choose from. IOS and Android are your main choices. Yes, there are a gazillion devices running Android, but, at the end of the day, they’re still Android. Android is a big no no.

 

[phrehdd]

Don't get me wrong, i am the guy who picked up 4.7" Galaxy S3 instead of pale iphone 4s - i installed custom kernel siyah on it and it literally blown(shredded) 2.1 speakers at my school and this thing was driving 320Ohm headphones, so i was listening to my 16-32 on maximum of 20% volume otherwise they and my eardrums would be blown too.

I was connecting that thing to hdd and ssds via OTG cable when iphones didn't know what the file system is let alone usb-otg cable. I connected keyboard and mouse to that thing - worked on the go via remote desktoping to my dell laptop. Downloaded on the go my files to flash drive to print them at the university printing center.

I had a good time with Samsungs and androids. But right now Iphone upped the game and i prefer its' stability and ecosystem. Probably i like Apple pay the most and my synced life with Mac - copy/paste, secondary display on ipads and etc.

I have no issue with what iPhone provides. Reasonable camera, only 3 generations behind Android now in customization (which is a quantum jump from 8 generations) and it works darn well. We are in agreement on how the eco system works well with Apple (as compared to years ago of the 4s).

 

[Al Rukh]

I’m happily trapped in the Apple ecosystem together with my 13PM, S7 AW, M1 Pro MBP, Apple TV.

 

[ThomasJL]

I will stick with macOS and iOS because, although macOS and iOS have gotten less user-friendly under Tim Cook, they are still more user-friendly than Windows and Android.

 

[ctjack]

I’m happily trapped in the Apple ecosystem together with my 13PM, S7 AW, M1 Pro MBP, Apple TV.

nice ecosystem right there - you managed to gather best of the best.

 

[heretiq]

Trust.

 

[leifp]

As long as Android is the only competition, I’ll be stuck on iPhone. I have a friend who hardens his Android installs so that they’re likely more secure than Apple is but I’m unwilling to go to that level of tech-geekery for a device I hate to have in the first place. If I could achieve the functionality of the iPhone on an iPad mini (and it had a better screen than it does… shudder) I’d ditch cell phones immediately. Plus, I love my Watch…

 

[ian87w]

I'm always fascinated by people "switching." I mean why do people only want to be on one side? Just use both. I use both Android and iOS, enjoying each strengths. Nobody's telling me that I can only use one and not the other.

Besides, unless you only use free apps, sooner or later, you will accumulate enough investment in the platform that it doesn't make sense to just "switch." So the best way is just use both.

I use Android for their versatility. On the other hand, I use iOS for their security and privacy (in terms of how much data are exposed and easily siphoned of by 3rd party developers).

 

[Shanghaichica]

It’s the ecosystem for me. I know I wouldn’t get a more complete set of devices if I switched over. Also whilst the iPhone and perhaps even the Mac objectively have some competition that’s worth considering, I still think the iPad and Apple Watch are the best in their class. I like my products to all work together and wouldn’t be interested in a mixed set up. So I think switching would mean I miss out on the better devices like the iPad or Apple Watch and overall the ecosystem would be weaker. Also because I like having all my devices the same, switching my phone would require a complete overhaul of everything. I’d need a new computer, new tablets, a new watch, new smart speakers, new trackers, new headphones, new TV streaming devices. There’s also the familiarity and use of Apple’s services and the hundreds of TV shows and movies that I’ve purchased on iTunes that I wouldn’t be able to currently use watch on an android phone or tablet.

So it’s easier to just suck up Apple’s ridiculous price increases and switch out one device at a time than to have the cost and hassle of switching everything out at the same time.

 

[winxmac]

I am using both iOS and android... I first learned android but the first device I owned myself is an iPhone 5 and right now I have iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S10+ as well as iPad 6 and Galaxy Tab A 8.0" 2019

I still use the iPhone 7 Plus and Galaxy S10+ for the hardware features no longer available/offered in the newer versions/releases...

There are things in both camps that I like... Using expandable storage in S10+ which is no longer available in most android phones and AirDrop in iPhones which I use when transferring files, photos, videos, between Apple devices but because I use a Windows computer I have to use SendAnywhere since only Apple devices have AirDrop functionality...

I know there are Windows laptops that have AirDrop-like functionality but since my current Windows computer is still working for me, I will continue on using SendAnywhere as AirDrop alternative... I am mostly a Windows user even though in the past I have tried macOS through Hackintosh and I only use the EXFAT file system on the SD card of my DSLR camera...

 

[Pakaku]

Main reason is to never touch anything Google makes, let alone give them money when they won't change anyways

Other reasons... Syncing iTunes to the music app, Smart Playlists that help me manage all of that, and terrible laggy confusing experiences on Android and "Android-themed" things in general

 

[AlixSPQR]

I’ve been back into iPhone for about the last two years. Had the original iPhone and then a 5C. Then I went pretty heavy into Android. Got frustrated after having to RMA two Pixels back to back (3a and 4a 5G). Decided to give iPhone a try back in 2021 with the iPhone 12 and I haven’t had any regrets since. I moved to a 13 pro max and I think I’m settled on this for a bit. Truthfully I find iOS a bit boring and stale but one thing I like about it, macOS and iPadOS is they’re all reliable and very few hiccups. Sure the designs Apple has come out with in the last few years have all relatively been similar but one thing I can say is their products are built well and are reliable.

Are you guys ever tempted to switch to Pixel or Samsung? If not, what makes you stick with Apple products?

Yes, I would like a periscope camera. But that's about it, everything else is better or more pleasant with an iPhone.

 

[ian87w]

I know there are Windows laptops that have AirDrop-like functionality

Since Google and Microsoft will never work together, the OEMs are doing it themselves. There's Huawei (which only works between Huawei phones and laptops), and HP (using an app called HP Quick Drop). I think Samsung also has its own called Quick Share, but only between Samsung devices.

The nice thing is, with some Samsung phones (upper midrange and higher), you can mirror and operate your phone right on the Windows desktop using Link to Windows. I believe Direct File transfers are also possible. That's quite powerful, and it's weird that Apple hasn't done the same (the mirroring part). Imagine being able to simply operate your iPhone screen right on macOS.